Xavier William Valdez Derrig (born 23 November 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. Born in the United States, he plays for the Dominican Republic national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Xavier William Valdez Derrig[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 23 November 2003[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Harlem, New York, U.S. | ||
| Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2009–2019 | Manhattan SC | ||
| 2019–2020 | Shattuck-Saint Mary's | ||
| 2020–2022 | Houston Dynamo | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022–2024 | Houston Dynamo 2 | 50 | (0) |
| 2022–2024 | Houston Dynamo | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022–2024 | Dominican Republic U20 | 6 | (0) |
| 2024– | Dominican Republic U23 | 2 | (0) |
| 2023– | Dominican Republic | 11 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 October 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2024 | |||
Club career
editBorn in New York City, Valdez began his youth career with Manhattan SC where he played as a winger, and after a growth spurt was switched to a goalkeeper.[2] He moved to Minnesota as a sophomore in high school, and joined Shattuck-Saint Mary's where he continued playing football. After a couple of seasons there, he joined the youth academy at Houston Dynamo in July 2020.[3] On 27 February 2022, he signed a homegrown contract with Houston Dynamo.[4] On November 7, 2024, his contract option was declined by Houston following their 2024 season.[5]
International career
editValdez was born in the United States to a Dominican father and American mother.[2] In April 2022, he was called up to a training camp for the United States U20s.[6] He played for the Dominican Republic U20s at the 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, where the team finished in second place.[7] He was also called up for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[8] He made his debut with the senior Dominican Republic national team in a friendly 5–0 loss to Chile on 17 June 2023.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Men's Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024: Squad list" (PDF). FIFA. 24 July 2024. p. 2. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ a b Reeves, Muriel (21 May 2023). "He became a goalkeeper, was compared to Courtois, played for the United States and will defend the Dominican Republic at the U-20 World Cup".
- ^ "Dynamo goalkeeper Xavier Valdez is next, and he's more than ready". Bayou City Soccer.
- ^ "Houston Dynamo sign goalkeeper Xavier Valdez to homegrown contract". 90min.com. 28 February 2022.
- ^ FC, Houston Dynamo. "Houston Dynamo FC announce roster decisions following the 2024 season | Houston Dynamo". Houston Dynamo FC.
- ^ "U20 MNT heads to California for camp | Club Soccer | Youth Soccer". TopDrawerSoccer.com.
- ^ FC, Houston Dynamo. ""He just finds a way" | Grubb, Valdez reflect on DR's U-20 Championship Run | Houston Dynamo". Houston Dynamo FC.
- ^ "República Dominicana anuncia jugadores convocados para Mundial FIFA Sub-20". ESPN.com.ar. 9 May 2023.
- ^ "Chile aplastó a República Dominicana en amistoso internacional". DSPORTS (in Spanish). 17 June 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
External links
edit- Xavier Valdez at Soccerway.com
- Xavier Valdez at National-Football-Teams.com
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